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Engineering Concepts: Barbie’s Philosophical World
Sunday October 27 at 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
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Want to better appreciate Greta Gerwig’s highbrow screenwriting, or been wanting to read some philosophy but need a bubblegum pink excuse? Join philosopher Ryan Miller for eleven weeks as we read and discuss classic philosophical texts in conjunction with brief scenes from Barbie.
I’m a man with no power. Does that make me a woman?
This line from an anonymous Mattel employee might seem like a cheap joke, but MIT professor Sally Haslanger took it very seriously in her article “Gender and Race: (What) Are They? (What) Do We Want Them to Be?” where she proposes that we redefine the term “woman” to explicitly reflect the role of patriarchy in the construction of gender.
- What does the word “woman” mean?
- How is the concept of “woman” linked to oppression?
- Can we just redefine concepts?
- Would it be good to redefine “woman” in the way Haslanger suggests?
Before the session, please check out the following:
- Page 54 of the Barbie screenplay and/or this clip of a very male Mattel
- Sally Haslanger, “Gender and Race: (What) Are They? (What) Do We Want Them to Be?”
